January 7, 2008
Mr. Russell Vellos
Editor in Chief
Amandala
Dear Sir,
This 2007/2008 Christmas and New Year seasons brought many, many complaints from a large citizenry. And as how many said to me, “It’s a waste of time giving our complaints to the police because it’s the same parents and authorities who allow children and adults to take advantage of the weaker ones.”
These artifacts called “popshots” which sound like bombs, hand grenades, automatic gun shots, etc., are used most of the time by irresponsible persons to frighten others, not knowing that this can cause their own death. What happens, is that Belize as a nation has never been through an armed revolution or war. They have never experienced seeing a man, those that call themselves man, defecate and urine their pants imploring for their lives. You have never experienced the guerrillas or soldiers appearing from nowhere, cut your children into pieces with their 1½-foot knives. Take your entire family and burn them in front of your eyes. You have never lived in fear, always looking all around you because you don’t know at what time or which place you will be attacked. You are not safe, not even in your own house or home. You always have to be on guard and the swiftest man is the one who survives.
A Justice of the Peace told me that while he was sitting on his verandah, there was a lady standing by her open gate in front of her house when some boys passed by and threw some popshots at the lady. A housewife told me that while she was parking her bicycle to enter a shop, her daughter of six years old was standing a few steps from her when a boy approached her baby and threw some popshots between her feet. The little girl screamed, and the boy jumped on a bicycle with another boy who was waiting and rode away.
On January 1, 2008, about 2 p.m., my wife on her bicycle in front of me, and I on mine with my seven-year-old daughter sitting on a carrier behind me, were turning around Mo’s Store which is in front of the Corozal Civic Center premises. A Hindu man who lives upstairs threw a popshot from his verandah which burst above my head. I stopped. My adrenaline was already flowing through my veins and my blood was boiling. I looked up and said some words to him. Between those words I said f—ing twice. I don’t like to curse, but at that moment I would have wanted my words to be like bullets.
These “incidents” can cause the death of a person by a heart attack. I lived in the State of Guerrero in Mexico for 25 years. This state is known throughout its history as one of the most conflicted of Mexico. Up to this day no government has been able to control it. It is always in constant war for different reasons, and things are solved with the spitting of gunfire. I experienced two revolutions in this state, one led by Lucio Cabañas and the other by Genaro Vasquez.
Let me give an experience about an incident that happened on a Christmas Eve in Acapulco. I was 27 years old. It was about 9 p.m. when I opened my house front door and stepped out to go and spend the Christmas at the hotel zone. When I stepped out I saw two men across the street about 3 houses from where I was. They were talking. A 10-year-old boy approached one of the men from behind and threw a popshot at the man’s foot. The man spun with such a swiftness, took out his gun from his waist, and one single shot, the child was dead. His intention was not to kill a child; he reacted to what he thought was an attack against him.
In a moment like that when we animals react to defend our lives, there is no time to think and there is no way to take back the bullet. In the same way I moved swiftly into my house, closed the door smoothly, not to call anyone’s attention. Why? Because I did not want to be a witness. You see, in this place witnesses don’t live to talk for a second time.
Disgracefully, our country is walking towards that walk. No one can learn from another one’s shoes. We feel humiliated when others come to our country and spit on us, and there is nothing we can do because money talks.
Don’t push us too much as how you do in Belize City. Our black brothers from Belize City may not know who are the enemy. We the Maya-Mestizos know who you are. Many advantages have been taken against my people who live in the villages. Some day will be pay day. Then, don’t cry. Parents, take care of your treasure, for someone else will do it for you.
NOTE: Thanks, the same to you brother Colin – Prospero Año Nuevo.
Respectfully,
(Signed) Clinton Uh Luna
Finca Solana
Corozal Town